In recent years, applications of fluorescence microscopes have been increasing in the field of medical care and chemistry. In the fluorescence microscopes, by giving a reagent containing a fluorescent protein to an object to be observed and irradiating the object with light of a certain wavelength, fluorescent light having a different wavelength is emitted from the reagent and the fluorescent light is used for observations of cells etc. As an example of such a fluorescence microscope, a multiphoton absorption microscope is named.
The multiphoton absorption microscope uses high order, e.g. second order, of laser beam as excitation light in order to achieve high power output. Thus, the wavelength of laser beam is in the infrared range for visible light observation by the excitation.
Therefore, it is necessary for an optical system in the multiphoton absorption microscope to transmit fluorescent light (visible light) for observation as well as near infrared light of excitation laser beam for generating the fluorescent light. For this reason, an antireflection coating able to transmit from visible light to near infrared light is needed. As the excitation light, light having a wavelength approximately twice of the fluorescent observation wavelength is needed. In fluorescent observation, the wavelength used for observation is determined by the reagent used. Since the wavelength used for observation is approximately 500 nm, it is required for the optical system to transmit light in the wavelength range up to near infrared (approximately 1000 nm).
Commonly known antireflection coatings are adapted to transmit visible light (in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 680 nm). Non-patent literature 1 describes a design of a three-layer antireflection coating. Patent literature 1 discloses an antireflection coating for near infrared light not including visible light. In cases where visible light is used, light in the near infrared wavelength range is blocked in many cases. For this reason, an antireflection coating that transmits visible light and reflects near infrared light has been proposed as disclosed in patent literature 2. As an antireflection coating for visible light and near infrared light, an antireflection coating that transmits light in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 1100 nm is disclosed in patent literature 3.